For typical post-workout muscle soreness, acetaminophen is generally the safest over-the-counter option, and topical creams with menthol or lidocaine can provide localized relief without systemic side effects. But the best approach depends on how sore you are, how often you’re training, and whether you’re trying to build muscle in the process.
Most muscle soreness after exercise is delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS. It starts one to three days after your workout, rarely lasts more than five days, and resolves on its own. If your soreness persists beyond a week, that points more toward an actual injury like a muscle strain than normal post-exercise discomfort.
Acetaminophen vs. Anti-Inflammatories
Your first instinct might be to reach for ibuprofen or naproxen. These are anti-inflammatory drugs, and they do reduce soreness. But sports medicine specialists increasingly recommend against using them for routine workout soreness, for two important reasons.
First, anti-inflammatories can dampen your body’s natural healing response. Inflammation after exercise isn’t a malfunction; it’s part of how your muscles repair and grow stronger. A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that young adults who took maximal over-the-counter doses of ibuprofen (1,200 mg daily) during an eight-week resistance training program gained less muscle than a comparison group. If you’re training to get stronger, regularly suppressing inflammation with ibuprofen may work against your goals.
Second, anti-inflammatories are harder on your kidneys, and after a tough workout you’re already somewhat dehydrated from sweating and electrolyte loss. That combination raises your risk of kidney stress.
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is a better choice for occasional post-workout pain. It relieves discomfort without interfering with inflammation or putting the same strain on your kidneys. The key word is “occasional.” If your soreness is mild enough that you can still function, letting your body recover on its own is the ideal approach.
Topical Pain Relievers
Creams, gels, and patches applied directly to the sore area work well for targeted relief and avoid most of the systemic concerns that come with pills. The main active ingredients you’ll find on store shelves are menthol, lidocaine, and anti-inflammatory gels.
Menthol-based products (like Biofreeze or Icy Hot) create a cooling sensation that overrides pain signals. They won’t speed up healing, but they make the soreness more bearable while your muscles recover. Lidocaine patches numb the area more directly and are typically worn on a 12-hours-on, 12-hours-off schedule. Both are safe for most people when you follow the directions on the packaging.
Supplements With Some Evidence
Curcumin (Turmeric Extract)
Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, has real anti-inflammatory properties. The catch is that your body absorbs it poorly on its own. To get meaningful amounts into your system, you need a formulation that pairs curcumin with piperine (a black pepper extract) or with fats. The effective dosage in studies is about 500 mg of curcumin with 5 to 7 mg of piperine, taken three times a day, for a total of 1,500 mg of curcumin and 15 to 20 mg of piperine daily. That’s significantly more than you’d get from sprinkling turmeric on food.
Tart Cherry Juice
Tart cherry juice has become popular in recovery circles, and there’s some evidence it helps with endurance exercise performance when consumed for about a week leading up to activity. However, the research is inconsistent. A 2023 study of recreationally active women found that 1,000 mg of concentrated tart cherry taken for eight days didn’t improve muscle soreness or function. Studies have used such widely varying doses and forms (juice, powder, concentrate) that there’s no reliable recommendation for how much to take. It’s unlikely to cause harm, but it may not do as much as the marketing suggests.
HMB
HMB is a compound your body naturally produces from the amino acid leucine. Supplementing with about 3 grams per day has shown potential for reducing muscle damage markers and speeding recovery, particularly during the first few weeks of a new training program or when training volume is unusually high. Most studies showing benefits used that dose consistently for three to four weeks. HMB is most useful when you’re doing something your muscles aren’t accustomed to, which is exactly when DOMS tends to be worst.
Magnesium
Magnesium plays a role in muscle relaxation and may help reduce muscle pain, though the evidence is stronger for people who are deficient than for those with adequate levels. Many adults don’t get enough magnesium from their diet. The recommended daily intake is 400 to 420 mg for adult men and 310 to 320 mg for adult women. Magnesium glycinate is one of the better-absorbed forms and tends to be easier on the stomach than magnesium oxide. If your diet is low in nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and whole grains, a supplement could help with overall muscle recovery.
What Actually Works Without a Pill
Several non-supplement strategies have strong evidence for reducing soreness, and they’re worth combining with anything you take orally or apply topically.
- Light movement: Gentle activity like walking or easy cycling increases blood flow to sore muscles and reliably reduces stiffness. Complete rest often makes DOMS feel worse, not better.
- Sleep: Most muscle repair happens during deep sleep. Consistently getting seven or more hours does more for recovery than any supplement.
- Protein timing: Consuming protein within a few hours of your workout gives your muscles the raw material they need to rebuild. This won’t eliminate soreness, but it shortens recovery time over weeks of consistent training.
- Gradual progression: DOMS is worst when you do something your muscles aren’t adapted to. Increasing workout intensity by no more than about 10% per week dramatically reduces how sore you get in the first place.
Timing Your Treatment
Since DOMS doesn’t start until one to three days after exercise and peaks around the 48-hour mark, you don’t need to take anything immediately after your workout. The window where relief matters most is days two and three. If you’re planning to use acetaminophen or a topical, that’s when to reach for it.
For supplements like curcumin or HMB, timing is different. These need to be taken consistently over days or weeks to build up enough in your system. Starting them the day you’re already sore won’t help much for that particular episode, but regular use can reduce the severity of future soreness.
If soreness is severe enough to significantly limit your daily activities, or if it hasn’t improved at all after five days, that’s a signal to get it evaluated rather than layering on more pain relief.